Unlooked for, I got a call from a guy I had done contract work for. “Come out and meet the CEO”, he said, so I did. I didn’t know if it was a job interview, but treated it as if it were. Their IT person was leaving, and they offered me the position on the spot. 20% more money, but a longer drive.  We were *this* close to turning it down (due to distance from the house and time the driving difference would take away from the family) when they sweetened the deal. A bit more money to make up for the drive, and early hours so I can be home with the family in the evening.  It’s about a 45 minute drive, so leaving at 3:30 would be really nice, and I’d get home around the same time.

Done.

I felt bad leaving my job after only 7 weeks. I really enjoyed the people and the work…and the drive. But I have a family to support, and I couldn’t justify staying at a lower position. So, after a week off between Christmas and New Year, I started working at Total Door. It’s been interesting, to say the least. There’s a big difference between going to a company that has an IT staff and going to a company where you are the IT staff. Even with documentation, there’s a lot I have to figure out on my own, and there’s nobody to point me in the right direction. So it’s been an interesting two weeks.

But it gets even more interesting.  After 19 months of being mostly unemployed (1 month employed, 10 months contracting), and I have started my second job in 3 months. Sounds great, right? Well, on my very first day at Total Door, I got a call from a recruiter I had been talking to in Aug 10. The position was heating back up, was I still interested? My first day wasn’t even over and I already got a call about another position? Then, on Thursday, I got an email from another recruiter about another position (again, original contact was in Aug 10) that was also heating up. Insane.

Well, I’ll stay open to the possibility of leaving this position.

The family is doing well. Heather, in addition to negotiating me better pay and hours at this current job, is a fantastic wife and mother, and has been knitting scarves for the family. The kids are all getting bigger, and both Peter and Evelyn are reading chapter books…Peter is reading The Hobbit (that’s my boy!) and Evelyn loves the Little House on the Prairie books. Mya reads, too, but seems to be much more interested in making things.  That girl goes through rolls of tape like you wouldn’t believe.  Lily is finally potty training (no small feat for her…discomfort with heights, along with small size, makes it difficult), and we’re so proud of her. Margaret is extremely helpful and cheerful, and Anna Maria is talking up a storm. Heather is finally admitting that her baby isn’t a baby anymore.

Peter is in Cub Scouts (I’m the assistant Den leader for his den), and Evelyn and Mya are in American Heritage Girls (Heather is Mya’s den/group leader, whatever it is they call the groups in AHG). The three of them also attend an art class once a week (Macomb Academy of Fine Arts, I think is its name) and are learning about music, sculpting, painting, and so forth. Heather has continued to do a great job teaching them, and is getting back into the swing of things after the Christmas break.  Oh, and Peter and Evelyn are in basketball again at Church this year. Unfortunately they’re in different age groups this year, so they practice and play at different times and on different days.  Fun fun.

Once we get finances under control, we’ll be doing some house updates. New floor in the kitchen (the current one is from 92, and showing its age…the tiles are breaking and lifting up), paint and redecorate the Living Room and School Room, finally get curtains and blinds or something for the doorwall.  Fun stuff like that.  Oh, and maybe some updates to the bathrooms.  At the very least, there’ll be some decorating going on (pictures on the walls, touching up paint, that kind of thing).  One thing I’m interested in is a ceiling fan with an indirect lighting source…there’s no ceiling light in the Living Room at this time, and it gets a bit stifling in there at times, so if I put something up I want it to also have lights.  But I think indirect would look nicer.

Well, now that you’re all caught up on us, what’s new with you?

Going to try and actually make use of the blog this year. I know, I know, I say that every time I post. But it might happen this time.

The star on the top right is the one the wise men followed.  That’s Satan in the barred cell in the left-hand tower.  Obviously there are the Immaculate Heart of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus on the castle walls, and a rainbow over the doors.  What I thought was an apple tree on the left is actually a tomato plant.

Lily is now 2.  Wow!  She’s a big sister, although I think her little sister is going to pass her up in size soon.  Her hearing, which was previously determined to be in the “mild hearing loss” range, is in the normal range now, so she’s been trying things without hearing aids for the past month, and will continue to do so for the rest of the year.  After that, they’ll evaluate her speech development and make sure it’s not stagnant (it’s definitely lagging).

She is receiving help through the Macomb ISD, where she has classes, and physical and occupational therapy.

Lily is on absolutely no medication now.  Nothing.  Nada.  Zip.  She hasn’t needed a breathing treatment in months, either.  She’s come a long way.

Anyhow, a picture, if it’ll work.

We’ve moved. It’s been in the works for a while, but two Sundays ago we realized something: our renters were told they would be able to move in on August 29th. Therefore, we had to be out before then. It was only the 3rd…plenty of time, right? Unfortunately, what dawned on us that Sunday evening was that we were going on an extended family vacation with Heather’s side of the family (mom and her new husband, brothers, sister, etc.) from the 16th to the 24th. This completely eliminates the two weekends before the 29th (a Friday). So, August 3rd, we realized “We need to move this weekend!”

Afterward, a massive amount of work was done by both Heather and me, attempting to get things ready for moving. Heather tackled packing as much as she could, a job made more difficult by her mothering duties, recruited a few people to help on Saturday, and went to the new house to scrub a few things in need of scrubbing. I prepped the new house, painting 3 bedrooms (with some help), and also contacted a few people about helping us move, as well as getting a truck reserved.

To all those who helped us move, thank you. Jeff & Jen, Mike & Jen, Jake, Scott, Sharon, Alex, Kevin, Mom (x2), Dad, Heather & Dale, Courtney & Drew…I hope I didn’t forget anyone. Thanks for the help painting, cleaning, lifting heavy stuff, having a ridiculously heavy washing machine dropped on you, watching the kids, whatever it was. Your generosity with your time on such short notice was very much appreciated.

I’ve been running over to the old house every night, trying to pack up things that didn’t make it on the truck. With not enough foresight on my part, we didn’t have time to pack everything, so there is still about 5 minivan loads worth of things at the house…plus it needs to be cleaned up for the renters. And, since the city inspector is out to verify that the property is fit for renting, I’ll probably have to fix a few things up.

Did I mention we’ll be gone for 9 days?

And we’re still trying to get settled in to the new house. There are a ton of boxes to unpack, some furniture to move, etc.